60 BIOTECHNOLOGY
The team’s Felix Bracharz preparing a high-throughput Nile Red Assay. The lipid droplets of the individual populations can be derived from the fluorescence data (see screen)
‘Gold from straw’ – a yeast with great potential Brück and his team have succeeded in genetically altering the hitherto biotechnologically unexploited Trichosporon oleaginosus yeast by coercing it to produce essential omega-3 fatty acids alpha-linoleic acid (ALA), eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and the anti-inflammatory conjugated linoleic acid (CLA). Te yeast can thrive in
cultivation media derived from agricultural waste, including straw, wood chips, wheat bran and even hitherto unused
www.scientistlive.com
marine waste materials such as crab shells. “Tis yeast is quite unique because it can also exploit monomer sugar substances, which are normally difficult to metabolise,” explains Brück. “We thus obtain valuable chemical substances from waste , without harming the environment.” When Trichosporon oleaginosus cells become stressed in nature – from a shortage of nitrogen or phosphate, for example – they build up energy reserves in the form of fat. Even though the yeast cells no longer grow optimally, the resulting
triglyceride fat reserves make up as much as 70% of their dry weight. In future projects the
researchers hope to further modify the oil-producing yeast so that it produces the desired fats in adequate quantities, even under normal nutrient conditions and without limiting their growth.
From simulations to custom-tailored enzymes A methodology recently presented by Brück’s research group takes the idea one step
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92